


Sleepover

by Lapis01



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Emotionally Constipated Hordak, Emotions, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24368566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lapis01/pseuds/Lapis01
Summary: After things settle down with Horde Prime's destruction, it only made sense for Entrapta's friends to want to hang out. Hordak should have seen it coming; after all, this was Entrapta's home.
Relationships: Bow & Entrapta (She-Ra), Entrapta & Hordak (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 233





	Sleepover

It had been multiple months since Horde Prime had been destroyed. Hordak had worked tirelessly to try and make up for the things he did while in control of Etheria's Horde. Communi service was hard work, but he felt better knowing he had done something to help the planet and its inhabitants. 

Of course, Entrapta had been glued to his side for the entirety of it. She hadn't dared leave him since She-Ra had ripped Horde Prime from his body- and, honestly? He wouldn't have it any other way. Hordak adored the scientist. She had understood him when nobody else had. The moment she had noticed his clone armour did nothing to help his defects, she had insisted on building him a new suit- which, of course, included the LUVD Crystal. 

He had been living with Entrapta, in her castle, since his memories had been fully restored. Very few people were in the area, so it was extremely rare to have visitors. Hordak had become used to being alone with Entrapta, Emily, and Imp. It was a comfortable living situation, if he was being honest with himself. Especially now that he and Entrapta had finally labelled themselves as a couple. 

However, it only made sense that Entrapta would eventually be visited by her friends. The idea had never crossed Hordak's mind, until he sauntered into his and Entrapta's shared lab, only to find Bow talking rather excitedly about one thing or another to the purple haired Princess. 

It was.. off-putting, to say the least. Hordak froze, claws tightening ever so slightly on his data pad. His ears flicked up, showing his surprise. He studied Entrapta's features from where he stood. She seemed happy. That was good. If she was happy, then he was happy. Hordak let out a soft sigh, before making his way over to the two Etherians. 

"Oh, Hordak!" Entrapta grinned widely as she noticed his presence, immediately reaching out with a hand to grab at his arm. "I don't think you've officially met Bow?"

The gentle touch was welcomed. Hordak allowed the smaller to tug him next to her, freshly red (thank goodness they were no longer green...) eyes met Bow's gaze. "No, I do not believe I have."

Bow made eye contact with Hordak, though he had an almost... nervous look to him? Perhaps he was uncomfortable? It would make sense, given Hordak's past. The taller of the two let out a huff. 

"Sooo.. Looks like you didn't have any problems settling in?" Bow gave a nervous smile as he spoke. 

Hordak tilted his head slightly, ears flicking in mild confusion, though his face stayed blank. "No. Why would I have?" 

Entrapta snorted, grin widening. "That's called small-talk! He's trying to start a conversation with you!"

For someone who was incredibly socially awkward herself, Hordak couldn't help but be surprised by her immediate understanding of the situation. "Ah.. Well, I will allow you two go back to.. whatever it was you were doing." And with that, Hordak gave Bow a small nod before taking his leave from the lab. 

Once he was out of view, he let out a deep sigh. Apparently, he was worse at being social than he had originally thought.

000000

It was late. The sky had darkened, and Etheria's new-found stars shone brightly in the sky. Hordak was tapping away at a data pad as he made his way towards the lab once more. He had become rather adept at navigating the castle, even with it's ever-changing walkways. Imp had been perched on his shoulder moments ago, but the little clone had scampered off in search of food. As Hordak entered the lab, he was startled to find that Bow was still there. He and Entrapta were tinkering with something. It looked suspiciously like an arrow of some sort. Entrapta was talking Bow through whatever it was she was doing. For some reason, it sent a pang of discomfort through Hordak. He narrowed his eyes, simply watching the two work. The discomfort sat uncomfortably in his gut, though he didn't understand why. Entrapta was obviously excited, so why-?

"Maybe if we tweak the arrow-head- make it flatter- it would move quicker? Right now, it seems too heavy," Bow said, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. 

"That would help, but we likely need to remove some of the wiring inside. If it's too heavy, it won't fly at all." Entrapta was absorbed in her work, eyes bright as she poked and prodded at the arrow.

Hordak took notice of the way Bow's face seemed to light up. He was so.. expressive. 

"Hey- if it's fine with you, I'd like to stay the night. We could get a lot more work done that way!" 

"That's a great idea!" 

Ah, so, it was settled then? Hordak couldn't help the frown that formed on his face. He should be happy to see Entrapta getting along with someone, but.. Bow was in his spot- his place! He was supposed to be Entrapta's lab partner- not this overly emotional rebel! He hadn't realized how hard he was clutching at his data pad, until he felt the screen crack under to pressure. He stared numbly at the device, his shattered reflection showing off the way he had clenched his jaw. He wanted to chuck the wretched thing, but that would give away his presence. So, instead, he turned around and made a swift exit. His body ached and his fingers burned. He wouldn't be surprised if the glass from his shattered screen had cut him; however, he didn't care enough to look. 

What was this feeling? It burned, but it wasn't anger- well, it wasn't just anger. It most certainly wasn't a good emotion either. Hordak's ears flattened as he shoved his way through his and Entrapta's bedroom door. His shoulder smacked against the edge of the door, earning an upset hiss from him. He needed to take his armour off for the night, but with Bow here? He refused to allow even the slightest chance of the other seeing him without his protective shell. Hordak began pacing back and forth, arms folded behind his back, and shoulders set so tightly it looked as though they might snap under the pressure. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel like this? Hordak got a glimpse of himself in the bedroom mirror. He froze, staring at his reflection. Despite his being upset, his face was relatively blank. He scowled, fist forming stiffly at his side. He lashed out, claws slashing at the mirror as an angry hiss left him. He didn't feel any better after the action. 

The only way he knew how to expel any sort of emotion was through anger, and that obliviously wasn't working. Hordak stared at his hands and let out a shaky breath. Maybe he just needed to sit down? He collapsed on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He needed to talk with Entrapta. She would understand what was going on with him, right? It was an emotion- That much he knew. 

It took an hour of trying to calm down before Hordak decided he was okay enough to go back to the lab. Of course, Bow was still there. He was scribbling on a sheet of paper now- no doubt working on a blueprint of some sort. Hordak marched straight towards Entrapta. He refused to spare another look in Bow's direction. As he came to a stop in front of his girlfriend, he realized that he didn't exactly know what to do now. Thankfully, Entrapta took notice of the way his ears were pressed uncomfortably against his head, and lead him outside of the lab with a loud "Be right back!" 

Entrapta raised herself up to Hordak's level with her hair, concern gleaming in her beautiful eyes. He immediately felt more relaxed, now that Bow wasn't near. 

"What's wrong?" She asked. She had always been far too good at reading Hordak- even if he was emotionally stunted. 

"I am not exactly.. sure, actually. I believe there might be something wrong with me?" Hordak frowned, brow furrowed. "There's an odd feeling in my chest. It isn't anger, but it feels just as strong?" 

Entrapta listened quietly, attention fully focused on him. He was thankful that she understood how bad he could be with words. Hordak tapped at his crystal with a claw- a nervous habit he had picked up not long after originally receiving the First Ones tech. Only when it seemed as though Hordak was done explaining, Entrapta spoke. 

"When did it start?"

Hordak peered off to the side, ears drooping. "Shortly after.. Bow arrived." 

"Ah! I know exactly what you're feeling!" Entrapta gave a him a gentle smile. "Jealousy. It generally refers to the thoughts, or feelings, of insecurity and fear. You likely felt threatened by Bow's presence here. I'm not very good with people, so this is probably one of the first times you've seen me truly interact with anyone since the Horde was disbanded." The Princess rested a gloved hand on the side of Hordak's face. She seemed delighted when he leaned into the touch. "Jealousy can consist of multiple emotions, so it's likely you felt anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust." 

Hordak closed his eyes momentarily, soaking in the other's words. Everything she had said added up. "Ah," Was his reply, eyes reopening. He couldn't figure out how to respond. "The anger was certainly there. Our bedroom mirror and my data pad have proved that." 

Entrapta's features seemed to soften. "We'll replace them. I'm sorry you had to go through that on your own." 

"No- you were enjoying yourself. I.. did not wish to interrupt you."

Entrapta let out a sigh as she lowered herself back to the ground. "Would it make you feel better if you joined us? I could really use your help on this project. Bow is smart, but he's not nearly as good at this stuff as you are." 

Hordak brightened at that. The idea of working near Bow sounded uncomfortable, but he was Entrapta's friend. He wanted to be on good terms with him. "Yes.. I think I would like that." 

The jealousy was still there, but it soon disappeared as Hordak assisted Entrapta and Bow with their project.

**Author's Note:**

> If you all enjoyed my characterization for Hordak, feel free to give my Tumblr Rp blog (@lapismuses) a follow! I just recently added him to the blog!


End file.
